Names In The News
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Purcell Boosting N.C.
State Fund-Raising |
The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Russell Adams writes North Carolina State Univ.'s Wolfpack Club Exec Dir BOBBY PURCELL "has constructed one of the most prolific fund-raising operations in college sports history." Since Purcell assumed control of the booster organization in '97, it has "raised over $200[M] in donations" for the school's athletics, and the $27M raised this year "was a richer haul than several schools currently ranked in college football's top 10." The Wolfpack club recently "surpassed 20,000 donors, which is more than four times as many as Ohio State." Purcell oversees a "network of nearly 600 volunteers who comb the state for fans willing to give as little as $10 a month." Univ. of Tennessee Exec Associate AD JOHN CURRIE: "He's the best out there" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/19).
POP CULTURE FIX: Eagles players including OT JON RUNYAN and DT MIKE PATTERSON will make cameo appearances in the September 25 episode of FX' "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Meanwhile, Lakers G KOBE BRYANT, Cavaliers F BEN WALLACE, Nets G VINCE CARTER and boxer WINKY WRIGHT are among those featured in a new documentary titled "SAY IT LOUD!," which "pushes education to African-American boys" (ESPN THE MAGAZINE, 9/22 issue)....Pearl Jam lead singer EDDIE VEDDER recently wrote and recorded "All the Way," a Cubs-themed song "at the request" of Baseball HOFer ERNIE BANKS (BILLBOARD.com, 9/18)....Music producer TIMBALAND for Sunday's Dolphins-Patriots game will sit in Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT's owners' box with Kraft, his wife MYRA and National Amusements President SHARI REDSTONE (BOSTON HERALD, 9/19)....The JONAS BROTHERS rented out Dodger Stadium Wednesday night "to play a baseball game with some friends" to celebrate youngest brother NICK's 16th birthday (EONLINE.com, 9/18).
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Abramovich Tops Esquire's List Of
Most Influential People In 21st Century |
NAMES: New Jersey's Running Deer Golf Club Owner EDWARD CARMAN has filed suit in Superior Court in New Jersey against ESPN's RON JAWORSKI claiming Jaworski's "allegedly deceptive business practices forced the club to file for bankruptcy." Carman's attorney, PETER GREINER, said that Jaworski "offered at first to either enter into a near equal partnership so Carman could continue operating the club, or purchase the mortgage and resell it to Carman for a small profit" (SALEM SUNBEAM, 9/17)....The following were among those named to Esquire magazine's 75 most influential people of the 21st century list: English Premier League club Chelsea Owner ROMAN ABRAMOVICH, Cavaliers F LEBRON JAMES, golfer TIGER WOODS, Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ, News Corp. Chair & CEO RUPERT MURDOCH and GE Chair & CEO JEFF IMMELT (ESQUIRE, 9/’08 issue)....ESPN's SAL PAOLANTONIO Tuesday night appeared at a fundraiser in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, for Congressional candidate TOM MANION's campaign. The event was hosted by clothier FRANK VENTRESCA, "who is a friend of Paolantonio's" (THEHILL.com, 9/15).
IN MEMORY: Former CFL exec RON LANCASTER, who also served as a football commentator for the CBC, has died at the age of 69. In Vancouver, Cam Cole writes Lancaster was "simply the most decent human being, the straightest shooter, the most passionate booster of Canadian football I have encountered." Lancaster also was "the best football colour commentator ever to grace the Canadian airwaves" (VANCOUVER SUN, 9/19).
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